
Directing
Born October 29, 1935 · Ujiyamada [now Ise], Mie, Japan
Isao Takahata (October 29, 1935 – April 5, 2018), co-founder of Studio Ghibli, was one of the most famous directors of Japanese animated films. Unlike most anime directors, he did not draw and never worked as an animator before becoming a director. For the first two decades of his career from the 1960s to the 1980s, Takahata worked primarily as director for anime television. In 1985 he and his long-time collaborative partner Hayao Miyazaki formed Studio Ghibli with Toshio Suzuki and Yasuyoshi Tokuma. From that point, his career transitioned into producing, directing, and writing films for Studio Ghibli. He is known for his five feature length anime films released under Ghibli, Grave of the Fireflies (1988), Only Yesterday (1991), Pom Poko (1994), My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999) and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013).

Anne of Green Gables Digest Version
2014

The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
2013

Anne of Green Gables: Road to Green Gables
2010

Winter Days
2003

My Neighbors the Yamadas
1999

Pom Poko
1994

Heidi: Girl of the Alps: Heidi and Clara
1993

Heidi: Girl of the Alps: Mt. Alm
1993

Only Yesterday
1991

Grave of the Fireflies
1988

The Story of Yanagawa's Canals
1987

Gauche the Cellist
1982

Chie the Brat
1981

3000 Leagues in Search of Mother: The Movie
1980

The Story of Heidi
1979

Heidi in the City
1977

Heidi in the Mountains
1974
Fantasia
1973

Panda! Go Panda!: Rainy Day Circus
1973

Panda! Go Panda!
1972

Panda! Go Panda!
1972

Horus: Prince of the Sun
1968

Wolf Boy Ken: Scared by a Ghost: The Greatest Operation in the Jungle
1964
Hotaru no Haka to Takahata Isao to 7-satsu no Nōto
2025

Miyazaki, Spirit of Nature
2025

Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron
2024

2399 Days with Hayao Miyazaki & Studio Ghibli
2023
NHK Image File: I Want To Meet This Person - Isao Takahata, Animation Film Director
2018
Hyohyo: Dear Mr. Yasuo Otsuka
2015

Isao Takahata and His Tale of The Princess Kaguya
2014

Ghibli Landscapes - Visit 'Japan' as Depicted by Isao Takahata
2014

The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness
2013

Ghibli Landscapes - A Journey to Encounter Directors Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki's Starting Point
2011
Japanese Cinema: New Territories
2011

Ghibli's Bookshelf
2010

A Ghibli Artisan - Kazuo Oga Exhibition - The One Who Drew Totoro's Forest
2007

Hayao Miyazaki and the Ghibli Museum
2005

Ghibli and The Miyazaki Mystery
2005

Yasuo Ōtsuka's Joy in Motion
2004

Paul Grimault, image par image
2003

The Birth of Studio Ghibli
2003

The Cat Returns - Making of
2002

Super TV: Frontline Information 15 Months of Exclusive Coverage! The Secret Behind "My Neighbors the Yamadas"
2000

The World, The Journey Of My Heart - Traveler: Animation Film Director Isao Takahata
1999

How Ghibli Was Born
1998

The Making of Only Yesterday
1991

The Story of Yanagawa's Canals
1987